Pasadena Mayor ‘Very Frustrated’ Over Slow Vaccine Distribution From State

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said he and his colleagues on the City Council have grown “very frustrated” with the slow delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations to the city.

Pasadena was expecting to receive 2,900 doses of vaccine last week, Gordo said in a video statement issued Monday. It received “just under 2,100 doses,” he said. 

“As you can imagine, I am very frustrated, the Health Department is very frustrated, my colleagues on the City Council are very frustrated, and we’re continuing our efforts to urge the state and to urge the federal govt to get more vaccine to local municipalities, local health jurisdictions, so we can continue our efforts to vaccinate the residents of this city,” said the mayor.

While the city stands poised to expand its vaccination centers, it lacks the vaccine doses to do so, according to Gordo.

“We very efficiently stood up a vaccination center, first at Pasadena High School, then at Pasadena City College. That effort ramped up to about 900 vaccines per day,” he said.

“We’re prepared to move in even further, but again, without doses, having the infrastructure is really pointless,” Gordo said.

In addition to the Pasadena Public Health Department, Gordo noted that local clinics and healthcare providers are also scrambling to obtain doses.

“Know that we’re working to have the governor urge the federal government to provide more vaccine,” he said. “We’re hoping to have better news in the coming week.”

As of Sunday, 19,861 Pasadenans had received their first of two required doses, according to city data. Another 3,457 Pasadenans had received both doses.